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Monday, 20 August 2018

Saraki Replies Tinubu Says he was treated As an outsider in APC As Tambuwal Says Ambition Was Never His Reason for Leaving

The National Leader of Peoples Democratic Party and Nigeria senate president Dr Bukola Saraki has replied the National leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu over claims that he left the party for selfish interest saying the accusation was a wrong, false and mischievous impression.

Recall the National Leader of All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu had on Sunday in a statement said Saraki defected because of his selfish interests and Saraki “has been more focused on changing the rules of the Senate to favour himself and changing the order of elections so as to coincide with his selfish designs.”

However, Saraki, who dumped APC for PDP July 31, 2018, said he defected because the decision “has been inescapably imposed on me by certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist”.

The Senate President also stated the President Mohammadu Buhari-led administration “consistently treats the legislature with contempt and acts as if the lawmaking body should be an appendage of the Executive. To me, this is unacceptable.”

Furthermore, Saraki said when Tinubu was appointed the head of the APC’s reconciliation committee, the APC leader reached out to him and admitted that he was also not satisfied with Buhari’s ‘administrative style and attitude’, but that he would remain in the party.

“However, during those meetings, the point of disagreement between me and him was that, while I expressed worries that there was nothing on ground to assure me that the administrative style and attitude would change in the next four years in a manner that will enable us to deliver the positive changes we promised to our people, he (Tinubu) expressed a strong opinion that he would rather ‘support a Buhari on the hospital stretcher’ to get a second term because, in 2023, power will shift to the South-west.

“This Tinubu’s viewpoint was not only expressed to me but to several of my colleagues. So much for acting in national interest.”

He also said the “uncertain and complex relationship” he shares with Tinubu was because he (Saraki) and other leaders of the APC “opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement about to be foisted on the APC for the 2015 polls.”

Reacting also to the same line of accusation is the Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal saying ambition never had a reason for leaving the All Progressive Congress as alleged by the National Leader of All Progressive Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu.

The governor who took to his twitter handle to respond to all said says it has what it takes to contest against President Mohammadu Buhari for the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the next year’s election

Tambuwal in a series of tweets countered claims made by Tinubu in a statement on Sunday entitled “They Go Away Because We Go the Right Way”.

“Tinubu tried to rock the boat when he was denied Buhari’s Vice Presidency. He thinks every other person could behave his way. If I wanted to contest under the APC as president, I could have done so and only the votes could have produced a winner.”

“If I wanted to and if the Presidency is what Ahmed Tinubu thinks I defected, I could contest with President Buhari under the APC. I have what it takes to have contested with Mr President,” Tambuwal said.

“I adduced reasons of my defection to the PDP. The reasons are still on record. Automatic ticket by the APC is certainly not part of that.”

Governor Tambuwal also faulted the claim by the APC chieftain that he left the ruling party because it could not give him the automatic ticket he demanded.

On the contrary, he alleged that Tinubu has shown that the APC lacked a level-playing ground for its members.

“In any case, Tinubu is confessing that there is no level-playing ground for all members of the APC; that there is no internal democracy in it, and that some people were denied their right to internal democracy,” Tambuwal insisted.